Wax Museum - Notable Wax Museums

Notable Wax Museums

Madame Tussauds, historically associated with London, is the most famous name associated with wax museums. In 1835 Madame Tussaud established her first permanent exhibition in London's Baker Street. There are also Madame Tussauds in Dam Square, Amsterdam; Berlin; Hong Kong; Shanghai; and three locations in the United States: the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Times Square in New York City, and new ones in Washington, D.C. and Hollywood. Louis Tussaud's wax museum in San Antonio, Texas, is across the street from the historic Alamo. Another is located on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

One of the most popular wax museums in the United States for decades was The Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, California, near Knott's Berry Farm. The museum opened in 1962 and through the years added many wax figures of famous show business figures. Several stars attended the unveilings of the wax incarnations. The museum closed its doors on October 31, 2005, after years of dwindling attendance.

However, the most enduring museum in the United States is the Hollywood Wax Museum located in Hollywood, California which features almost exclusively figures of movie actors displayed in settings associated with their roles in popular movies. This group of museums includes facilities in Branson, Missouri and Gatlinburg, Tennessee near Pidgeon Forge. With the original location having been developed in the mid-1960s, the most recent reports suggest that this group of museums is experiencing brisk business with the Branson location having undergone a substantial expansion and remodeling in 2008 and 2009 including an animated ride and a mirror maze.

Another popular wax museum is the Musée Conti Wax Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, which features wax figures portraying the city's history as well as a "Haunted Dungeon" section of wax figures of famous characters from horror films and literature. Another popular wax museum in the U.S. is the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California.

The Royal London Wax Museum in downtown Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, features "royalty to rogues and the renowned."

The National Wax Museum in Dublin, Ireland is a wax museum which hosts well over a hundred figures. For many years it has had only one sculptor, PJ Heraty, who continued producing figures even while the museum was closed. Meanwhile it could be re-opened at a new location.During the last few years some other new wax museums are starting around the world. In 2009 Dreamland Wax Museum opened in Gramado, in the south of Brazil.

"Wax World" a museum with a collection of wax statues of Indian freedom fighters opened in the Hill station Udhagamandalam (Ooty) India in March 2007. Another branch of this museum opened in July 2008 at the historical site of Old Goa with a collection of religious statues. A unique wax museum on musicians and musical instruments named "Melody World" opened at Mysore, India in October 2010.Another popular wax museum called "Celebrity Wax Museum" is located in Lonavala,India.